Crime and Punishment
Sue Brooks June 14th, 2009
Yet another story about people being stabbed in unprovoked attacks and a debate about Tasers. It makes me think that our approach to crime is becoming ineffective. Our society only has two options for people who misbehave being either a financial penalty (fine) or denying personal freedom by locking people away in jail. Maybe it is time to question how successful these strategies are.
Many people who break the laws of this land seem to me, as reported via the media, to ‘get off lightly’. I am sad that the man who possibly murdered his new wife while scuba diving has not faced a trial. If ‘the time’ no longer fits ‘the crime’ then how do we manage?
I am constantly asked by residents that we should ‘get tough’ on wrong doers. Make more and more laws to punish more and more people but what isn’t discussed is the appropriate punishment for wrong doing. In some countries physical violence is still the accepted means of punishment. Does this system work better than ours? Has social humiliation as used to happen in smaller communities ceased to be effective? Are wrong doers actually publicly humiliated anymore?
What do we do when the jails are full, the people who are fined don’t pay up and crime rates continue to rise? Personally I want the debate. I want us to ask what do we do with those who assault our neighbours or who wreck our property? A slap on the wrist certainly isn’t an effective deterrant.
I’m also sick and tired of the excuse about poor family upbringing. Often used to support the wrong doer. Many people have come from poor family backgrounds but they don’t go on to choose a life of crime. Saying that a poor upbringing is justification for someones bad behaviour is not my idea of a good excuse. Violent bad behaviour just cannot be tolerated but what are we going to do to stop it?
PS Tasers are a good thing. Police just have to be careful that they don’t use them when not justified. I long for the old days when the local cop could give the young naughty kids a good kick up the bum and teach them a lesson. I wonder how many of these kids grew up either scarred or bad?
- What do you think?
- Comments(3)
Sue,
This is without doubt a very complex question.
Firstly, our decline has been long and gradual. Most children get
their ideas and morality from their parents, as a result it will take
a generation or two to correct the current situation.
Penalties – I am all for the old eye for an eye.
You commit murder, you die.
You are declared a bankrupt, you never own or run a business again.
You vandalise some ones property, you pay, or if you are under
16 years of age,your parents or guardian pay.
Gee, I’m a bad bastard aren’t I.
Sadman
Sue,
In Dubai, brand new products (washing machines, computers etc.) are left unattended on the docks & are never stolen. Why? Because the punishments are so harsh that even the most dishonest people are too scared to contemplate theft.
I’m not advocating chopping off people’s hands or stoning to death in the streets, but surely the legal system can use the sentencing laws currently in place. It seems that some sort of boredom in the justice system has overtaken their intellect. They can’t be bothered getting tough (i.e. getting real), ho hum, all too hard. What a joke!!! Life imprisonment means 10 years these days. Suspended sentences for serious crimes the norm.
Doesn’t this encourage more crime? It is so out of balance. A person caught with some dope gets a tougher sentence than someone doing armed holdups.
It seems to me that the victim is often blamed more than the perpetrator. Would blaming my father for taking my Tonka toy or Barbie doll away as a punishment justify committing a crime as an adult or teenager? Yes there are some who have horrendous childhoods & those people should have extensive couselling available to them at no charge from as early as possible.
Good on you Sadman, I must be a bad bastard too!!